Dec 7

Dec 7 The Matzah Ball

Audiobooks, Diverse Reads, Fiction, Holiday Reads, Romance

Thank you to Harlequin and Harper Audio for gifting me review copies of The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer.

I really enjoyed this book, which showcases the internal struggle of Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt. She's Jewish, and her dad is Rabbi Aaron Goldblatt—THE Rabbi Aaron Goldblatt—and Rachel has been keeping a pretty big secret from her family. They think she's a freelance editorial writer, but really she's a best-selling Christmas romance novelist!

So far she's been able to keep her secret, but her publisher is pushing her to write a Hanukkah novel, which threatens to bring everything she's built crashing down. She's struggling to find the spark of inspiration, so she signs up to help out and attend the Matzah Ball, even though it's being run by Jacob Greenberg, who she's despised ever since she was a kid.

On top of all that stress, Rachel suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and has to manage her energy output or risk a major crash that will lay her out for days.

The more time she spends helping with the Matzah Ball and around Jacob the more she's drawn to both Hanukkah and Jacob. Could he be the love she wasn't looking for?

I thought the portrayal of Rachel's different sides, passions and conflicting emotions was realistic. Most of us aren't solidly one thing or another, and sometimes our loves conflict. In addition to loving the main characters I also really liked all the supporting characters and thought they were really well written.

The audiobook was narrated by Dara Rosenberg, who did such an amazing job. She really brought an extra layer of life to all of the characters and it was a joy to listen to. The audiobook is just over 10 hours long.

If you haven't picked this one up yet I definitely recommend it! You can download the audiobook right now, via the button below, or grab a physical copy here.

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Synopsis:

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.